You never think it could happen to you

[DustinL]

So a week ago this past fri I arrive at the marina to do my anal cleaning of the boat. I do this every week weather it goes out or not. Anyway, after a breif convo with a dock neighbor I turn to walk to my boat and then it hit me. All at once I realize something is terribly wrong. She is sitting about half way down. So I immediatley un snap the cockpit cover and pull up one of the access hatches and realize the engines are under. Go to the cabin and see about 3' of water all the way to the master in the bow. Place a call to the marina and they immediatley send me a pump. 4 1/2 hours later she is floating again. Now to find the problem that made all this happen. Spent hours searching sea strainers engine hoses and still couldn't find it. But no new water was coming in. Wrap everything up around midnight and decide to come back early saturday morning. I had contacted Boat U.S. in the midst of franticly trying to pump the water out and got a claim started. Saturday I call them to find it will be Monday before I can speak with anyone. So back to the boat I go to try and start the salvage and dry the cabin out. Of coarse I pull dipsticks and there is water in them. Contacted a local dealer a few times left messages to get the engines pickled but no returns call. Still no new water. This has me confused, where did all this water come from. I try and do some clean up but by saturday afternoon it's hot and the smell is starting to get to be a bit much. Fast forward to Monday cause Sunday was spent doing much of the same. I get a call from my agent! Now I feel better. She tells me what I need to start doing so I get a guy I know to pull the boat. I pull the plug and she still drains water for another 20 min. I have had big fans in the cabin all weekend but still everything is wet. Sea Ray really used some thick foam in the 90's for seat cushions. Now the shop has it, a surveyor has been out to look at her and here starts the repair estimate. It is still not complete butit is racking up from what I hear. Surveyor says all upholstry in cabin will have to be replaced. It was original and in great shape. Engines and Genny have been pickled. Now I wait to see what we are going to do. I have great coverage but you always worry. All this occured due to...wait for it! AC dischrge line. A power suge or something tripped the ac converter off so for 3 days my pumps were running. As soon as the batteries die, it's over. Ac is still pumping 250 gal per hour in the boat. Until the ater gets to the unit and shorts it out. I don't know what is going to happen here all I know is my favorite toy is in distroyed. I never thought I would ever have this happen to me. I always do a check on hoses and keep my maint. up but this is just one of those bad situations I suppose. Still sucks. I have really enjoyed that boat and it ran perfect. I fear they may claim it a loss due to her age. Mechanically everything was 05. But the rest of the boat was in great shape. It still sickens me to see her in the shape she is in at the moment. All the filth and scum still in the boat. I still don't think it has fully set in that this has even happened. I only pray the outcome of this will ease the way I feel now about it. This was my present to my self after my divorce. Had many good times on her and wasn't ready to call it quits yet. Now we wait and see what happens from here.

 

[Pietro]

AC discharge line???? What does it mean? Are your AC discharge through hull under the water line???

Sorry for your boat..:smt089

 

[HUMPH]

Which hose was it? Sounds like you keep the AC on when you leave the boat? I try not to leave on anything that can pump water into the boat but there are still are hoses that can fail and sink a boat. Hoses was one of the first things I replaced when I bought my boat. I hope all works out with yours but if this was salt water, most likely a total loss. If so, take the insurance money and find another boat you can spoil. Good luck.

 

[Quint4]

Hate to hear it, hope all goes well with the insurance. Post a pic of the A/C line in question.

 

[Pseudomind]

Hey DestinL I know you are busy with this terrible event, but if you get a chance could you provide a few more details, I for one am interested since I live in Jacksonville, Florida and A/C usage is a bit common.

"AC dischrge line. A power suge or something tripped the ac converter off"

My A/C has the sump pump discharge for condensation, and both A/C units have above the water line through hull discharges when running. So if I am reading your post correctly, the A/C unit shut down but the water pump for the A/C unit continued to run and pump water. I have one A/C water pump located in the bilge which pumps water for both A/C units, but it would seem that if the A/C unit itself was not running but the pump itself continued to run the water would still just go out the side via the normal discharge path. Unless for some reason the A/C unit has some type of relay which de-energized and closed the water line path. I do not have schematics available to look at mine.

So like I said I am interested in the cause of this. thanks

 

[RollerCoastr]

I think what he's saying is that the discharge line itself failed, so water was being pumped into the boat instead of overboard. His converter had shutdown, so the bilge pumps killed the battery, the boat began to fill with water until the air-conditioning unit was under water and stopped.

 

[Pseudomind]

I think what he's saying is that the discharge line itself failed, so water was being pumped into the boat instead of overboard. His converter had shutdown, so the bilge pumps killed the battery, the boat began to fill with water until the air-conditioning unit was under water and stopped.

Could be and I know it is a terrible thing to happen, but If the cause is discovered I am still interested on a possible scenario of the chain of events/failed item which caused this, a path for me to check out my A/C lines.

 

[trit21]

I think what rollercoastr said was correct. AC power was on the boat and never failed but the converter (battery charger) breaker was tripped so the battery was not being charged. Since AC power was still present, AC kept working, turning on and off as needed including the raw Z(salt) water pump to cool the AC. Although, I don't think he said a line broke so since the AC condensate drains into the shower sump, the sump pump worked until the point of killing the batteries and the shower sump would just overflow. With no battery to pump either the shower sump or the overflow emergency forward bilge, the boat filled with water.

 

[trit21]

But now that I think about that, that is an awful lot of water to fill a boat with condensate drain water so maybe that wasn't it, would almost have to be a broken line huh. Rollercoastr was (I think) correct but we really do need to hear from the OP for official chain of events.

 

[firecadet613]

Yikes. Here's hoping for the best outcome in the end, which I hate to say may be a total loss. How long was your boat half submerged? Were none of your slip neighbors there to call you....or does your marina not walk the docks?

 

[moparlvr4406]

I think what he's saying is that the discharge line itself failed, so water was being pumped into the boat instead of overboard. His converter had shutdown, so the bilge pumps killed the battery, the boat began to fill with water until the air-conditioning unit was under water and stopped.

To add to this ...batteries dead...pumps not running ...ac still pumping boat full until it submerges and dies
NOW the thru hull is under ...terminal failure.

 

[Pyrojodge]

Best of luck.

 

[BritLady]

Really sorry to read about your misfortune. truly sucks. We have our A/C running at the dock most of the time as it's so hot here so we're always concerned about this type of stuff too. Our yacht club installed new electric posts recently and our power was shut off and the batteries drained too which concened us. Thankfully, our dockmasters walk the docks dailey and keep their eye on things. Best of luck with your insurance etc.

 

[dpvandy01]

I think what he's saying is that the discharge line itself failed, so water was being pumped into the boat instead of overboard. His converter had shutdown, so the bilge pumps killed the battery, the boat began to fill with water until the air-conditioning unit was under water and stopped.

+1,, That's how I read it

 

[Gofirstclass]

I hope your outcome from all of this is that you end up happy. Whether that's with your current boat completely fixed or a different boat, I hope you end up satisfied.

 

[CV-23]

I think what he's saying is that the discharge line itself failed, so water was being pumped into the boat instead of overboard. His converter had shutdown, so the bilge pumps killed the battery, the boat began to fill with water until the air-conditioning unit was under water and stopped.

That's what could happen to our 1990 270 if that hose fails! Same setup and I just love the 350 of that year also. I hope the claim goes well but I would be very sad. The only thing I leave on is the refrig when we leave the boat....not as hot here in PA. Even sleeping at night I worry about letting the AC on.....she pumps lots of water....fresh in our case. We even shut the on board water system off and the water heater. Pray all goes as good as it gets, Mike.

 

[1990-270-da-lover]

So sad to hear about your boat DustinL. Hopefully the insurance claim will go smoothly and either way it goes you'll be made whole. Love the 1990 Dancers as is obvious since I own one. I sure hope they can repair the damge. Hate to see such a beauty end up like this. Good Luck Hope all works out well.

 

[ttmott]

You know most here in Fl leave their AC on all year around, I do. This concerns me also; I'm thinking about adding a couple of shunt trip breakers for the AC such that if the high water alarms go off it shuts the AC off.... This would be an easy modification.

 

[Ten Years Gone]

Were none of your slip neighbors there to call you....or does your marina not walk the docks?

+1

This was the first thing I thought of too...how could the boat end up that low in the water and NOBODY notice? If I had dock neighbors directly adjacent to me who were there and oblivious to the situation, or simply didn't care, I would be furious.

 

[Crushin It]

Damn Dustin that's terrible news. Hope the insurance Co takes care of you and you be up and going in Spring... Truly sucks!